Dubai property Golden Visa: check eligibility before buying

Who qualifies

You can apply through Dubai’s property-investor route if your qualifying ownership meets the official threshold. You can use one or more properties under your name.

Ready homes, financed property and eligible off-plan purchases can qualify. Each needs different documents. Approved local bank financing and eligible off-plan purchases can qualify. The off-plan company must be approved locally. Ask the service handling your Dubai application which documents you need.

Before you buy for residency, take these steps:

Confirm which property interests are registered in your name.
Get the documents needed for your ready, financed or off-plan purchase.
Ask the official service if you qualify before you commit to the purchase.

If you already own the property, start with your title or initial-sale record. Have your purchase contract ready too. If you are still choosing a home, ask about that exact property. An advertised price does not show how your ownership will be entered in the records.

Which documents do you need?

Bring the documents on the application checklist:

Your passport.
An electronic certificate of title or title deed.
A personal photo.
Your Emirates ID and current residence permit, if you have them.

Check that your name and property details agree across the documents.

For a ready home, use DLD’s title-deed verification service to check the issued document. Select the owner-and-property option when you need to match the owner. Keep your purchase contract to hand. The service can then check the sale evidence too.

For a mortgaged property, ask for the bank letter before your appointment. For an off-plan purchase, ask which registered sale documents the service accepts. Ask about developer documents too. Take the contract and payment statement instead of relying on a booking receipt alone.

If a name, ownership share or unit reference differs between documents, ask how to correct it. Do this before you submit them. Give the service the documents that differ. Find the field that needs checking.

Can you apply with a mortgage?

Yes. DLD allows mortgaged property. You need a bank no-objection letter. Its service description requires proof of AED 2 million paid. Its terms ask the bank to give the paid amounts and unpaid balance.

Ask your lender for a letter naming the property and borrower. It must give the amounts too. It must confirm the bank has no objection to property-based residency. Show it to the processing centre before applying. ICP’s broader guidance allows approved-bank finance. Ask which terms apply to your route.

Get the required wording from the service. Ask whether your bank can issue it. Keep any refinancing decision separate from the residency application. Check the lender’s costs and repayment terms in writing. Compare them with the Central Bank’s disclosure standards.

Can you apply with an off-plan property?

Yes, ICP’s property-investment category includes eligible off-plan purchases. The company must be approved by the competent local authority. Ask what evidence the service needs for your project and registered purchase. Ask about proof of payments too.

Check this before signing a booking form if residency is a reason for buying. Ask the developer for the registered unit details. Get a written payment statement too. Give those documents to the official service handling your application.

DLD’s Dubai investor page lists a title document. If you hold an initial-sale certificate instead, ask which application route accepts it. The Oqood guide explains how to identify your document.

Can you combine properties or apply as joint owners?

DLD’s terms allow one or more properties under your name. List each property you want assessed, with its registered ownership and purchase evidence. Include its finance details too. If your holdings span emirates or differ in registration stage, ask which documents the service accepts.

For a jointly owned home, check each applicant’s registered share. The total apartment price does not prove that two people can get separate investor approvals. Ask whether you should apply as separate investors or use family sponsorship.

Bring your marriage documents when asking about spouse sponsorship. Tell the service who you plan to sponsor. Ask for the document and insurance checklist for each person.

How do you apply?

DLD describes an in-centre application. You submit the required documents and pay the application charges that apply. You take the medical examination, then receive the permit by email. Its terms say you must be inside the UAE to apply.

Check the current service channels before booking travel. Ask which documents need attestation. Check which originals to bring. Check the rules on attending in person. Do not assume an adviser can attend in your place.

If you are outside the UAE, check ICP’s real estate investor entry-permit service. It helps eligible investors complete the Golden Residency steps. It lists a passport and photo. You also need official property-ownership evidence. Ask which order of entry and residency steps fits your case.

Ask for a quote that lists each application cost for you and each dependant. Ask what is included and what you must arrange separately. Keep the receipt and issued documents. Use them to follow up with the service that handled your file.

Does the property fit your budget?

Compare the home with registered sale prices before agreeing the purchase. Start with the areas below. Then open the records for the building and home size you need. Check the unit’s actual size, condition and asking price.

Registered prices for the purchase shortlist

Compare area sale medians, annual price changes and transaction counts in Dubai.

Registered prices for the purchase shortlist
Registry area	Median price per sq ft	Year-on-year change	Sales in twelve months
Dubai South	AED 1,655	+4.1%	15,385
Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)	AED 1,493	+4.5%	11,715
Dubai Land Residence Complex (DLRC)	AED 1,467	+7.9%	8,187
Majan	AED 1,504	+4.1%	7,522
Jabal Ali First	AED 1,561	+16.5%	7,011
Business Bay	AED 2,492	+1.5%	7,009
Dubai Islands	AED 2,757	+18.8%	4,790
Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT)	AED 1,661	+14.1%	4,310

Busiest registry areas by twelve-month sales, with at least twenty sales in each area.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026.

DLD sales: 6 Oct 2025 to 5 Oct 2026. Twelve-month registered-sales window.
DLD annual-change comparison: 6 Oct 2024 to 5 Oct 2025. Previous twelve-month window used for the year-on-year column, where available.

Source update: 26 Oct 2026. Source: Dubai Land Department open data via Dubai Pulse, re-published by Dubai Real Estate Data (dataset), licensed CC BY 4.0. Sales to 5 Oct 2026. aggregated to medians; non-residential, land and flagged rows excluded.

Talk to someone who handles this

Tell us what you need. With your consent, we share your request with the developer or agent for Dubai property Golden Visa: check eligibility before buying, who may contact you about it.

These prices help you compare a purchase. For your residency application, you need proof of ownership and value that the authority accepts. You may plan to rely on a later valuation. If so, ask whether it accepts that document for your case.

For buying charges, use the buying-costs guide. Before paying, ask for the trustee’s statement with each cost listed. Ask for the agent’s agreed commission too.

Use the true cost calculator to check purchase cash and finance. Leave room for running costs after completion. Look up the building’s approved service charge in Mollak. Then get the flat’s invoice and any management quote.

Decide how you will use the property while you hold it. If you plan to rent it, ask for signed lease evidence. Ask which costs the owner pays too. If you plan to live there, inspect the layout and condition. Check whether you qualify for residency as you choose a home you can afford to own.

Before you rely on this

Approval depends on the authority’s review of your application. Requirements are dated above. Before buying, confirm which documents the service accepts for your ownership and finance. Check those needed for your route too. Even with a qualifying purchase, you must still apply for residency and follow the steps for attending in person.

Do the maths: open the true cost calculator →

Questions people ask

These answers connect the guide’s main questions with the rules and property data discussed above.

Is the Golden Visa threshold based on the price I paid or today’s valuation?

DLD’s published service uses purchase value at the time of purchase. If you want to use a later valuation, ask the processing service which valuation document it accepts before applying.

How much must I have paid on an off-plan property before applying?

ICP’s off-plan category specifies a qualifying purchase value, not a universal instalment percentage. Ask the official service what registered purchase and payment evidence it needs for your approved project.

Can I combine properties to reach the threshold?

Yes, DLD allows one or more properties under your name. Give the service each ownership document and ask which holdings it accepts, especially if they span emirates or registration stages.

Does a mortgaged property qualify, and do I need a bank NOC?

Yes, DLD permits mortgaged property with a bank NOC stating paid and outstanding amounts. Its description asks for evidence of AED 2 million paid. Ask the centre which rules apply to your route before asking for the bank letter.

Can both spouses qualify from a jointly owned apartment?

Not automatically. Ask the authority to assess each registered ownership share for separate investor applications, or check the family-sponsorship route. Bring the ownership and marriage documents.

DLD emailed me about eligibility. What happens next?

You still need to apply through the official service. Check the required ownership, identity and bank documents, then follow its application and medical steps.

What registered price per sq ft is shown for Dubai South?

The median price of homes sold is AED 1,655 per sq ft. This covers Dubai South. It covers the displayed twelve-month window. It compares the area, rather than quoting a price for one home.

See the supporting table

How many sales support the Dubai South price comparison?

The Dubai South comparison has 15,385 registered home sales. It covers the displayed twelve-month window. This counts transactions, not homes offered for sale.

See the supporting table

How did Dubai South's registered price per sq ft change?

The median price per sq ft of homes sold changed +4.1%. This compares the displayed twelve-month window with the previous one. These are recorded sales in the two dated windows.

See the supporting table

Work it out with real numbers

Use these linked comparisons and tools to check the figures behind your next decision.

Sources

Rule review date: 14 October 2026.

This guide explains the rules in plain language. It is not legal advice; for a dispute, check with the Dubai Land Department or a lawyer.